Communication device that permits a user to select any of multiple user-selectable communication types for a reply

ABSTRACT

A communication device comprises logic and an input device coupled to the logic. The input device is adapted to permit a user to select a communication type. The logic receives a communication in a first communication type and permits a user to reply to the communication using any of a plurality of user-selectable communication types.

BACKGROUND

Phones and various types of messaging devices allow users to respond toa message only in the same form as the original message. For example,upon receiving an electronic mail (email) message, the user can respondonly with another email message.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a detailed description of exemplary embodiments of the invention,reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 shows a communication device in accordance with variousembodiments;

FIG. 2 shows a another view of the communication device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows an illustrative block diagram of the communication deviceof FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 shows an exemplary display in accordance with variousembodiments; and

FIG. 5 shows a method in accordance with various embodiments.

NOTATION AND NOMENCLATURE

Certain terms are used throughout the following description and claimsto refer to particular system components. As one skilled in the art willappreciate, computer companies may refer to a component by differentnames. This document does not intend to distinguish between componentsthat differ in name but not function. In the following discussion and inthe claims, the terms “including” and “comprising” are used in anopen-ended fashion, and thus should be interpreted to mean “including,but not limited to . . . . ” Also, the term “couple” or “couples” isintended to mean either an indirect, direct, optical or wirelesselectrical connection. Thus, if a first device couples to a seconddevice, that connection may be through a direct electrical connection,through an indirect electrical connection via other devices andconnections, through an optical electrical connection, or through awireless electrical connection.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 shows an illustrative embodiment of a communication device 10.The communication device 10 comprises a display 12 and one or more inputcontrols (e.g., buttons) 22, 24, and 26. In the example of FIG. 1, inputcontrol 22 is associated with a “text message” function, while inputcontrols 24 and 26 are associated with electronic mail (email) and phonefunctions, respectively. A speaker 17 and microphone 19 are provided aswell.

In various embodiments, the communication device 10 comprises aportable, battery-operated device and is implemented in the form of acell phone, personal digital assistant (PDA), PDA phone, Smartphone,etc. The communication device 10 is adapted to enable cell phone calls,any form of text-based communication such as email, Multi-Media MessageService (MMS), Really Simply Syndication (RSS, also referred to as RichSite Summary and Resource description framework Site Summary) and textmessaging. Text messages may be in accordance with the Short MessageService (SMS) standard.

In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the display 12, speaker 17, microphone 19,and input controls 22, 24, and 26 are provided on an outer surface of ahousing 11 of the communication device 10. In some embodiments, theouter surface of the housing 11 may also comprise a keyboard. In FIG. 2,a slide portion 30 is shown in a deployed position from housing 11. Theslide portion 30 slides out from housing 11 to provide the user withaccess to a keypad 32 as shown in FIG. 2. In the configuration of FIG.1, a user is able to receive and view text messages and email on display12. The user is also able to view caller identification information ondisplay 12 upon receipt of an incoming phone call. Further, the user canlisten to voice messages via speaker 17 and answer incoming phone callsusing speaker 17 and microphone 19. Further, in the configuration ofFIG. 1 the user may also record a voice note to be attached to anoutgoing message to be sent to a target recipient. In the configurationof FIG. 2, the user uses keypad 32 to dial phone numbers to make phonecalls and can receive incoming phone calls.

FIG. 3 shows a block diagram of the communication device 10. As shown,the communication device 10 comprises logic 20 which couples to display12, memory 15, speaker 17, microphone 19, input controls 22, 24, and 26and keypad 32. An antenna 28 is also shown coupled to logic 20 by whichwireless communications are received into and transmitted from thecommunication device 10. One or more “contacts” 18 are stored in memory15. Each contact 18, for example, comprises a name and phone number, aswell as other desired contact information such as mailing address, emailaddress, etc. for a give person or organization. The contact information18 may be input into the communication device 10 via keypad 32 or may beprovided by an external computer to the communication device 10 via anyof known synchronization techniques.

Referring to FIGS. 1-3, the communication device 10 receives any ofmultiple types of communications. A communication type refers to aformat of the information provided, the type of information (voice,text, etc.), and/or the protocol by which the information is provided.In accordance with various embodiments, examples of communication typesreceivable by communication 10 comprise email, text messages, phonecalls, voice notes, etc.

In various embodiments, a user of the communication device 10 can causethe communication device to reply to an incoming communication of onetype with a communication of a different type. For example, if thecommunication device 10 receives a text message, the user can activatethe email input control 24 to cause the communication device 10 to replyto the incoming text message with an email. Alternatively, the user canactivate the phone input control 26 to cause the communication device 10to reply to the incoming text message with a return phone call.Similarly, a user can activate the text message input control 22 orphone input control 26 to reply to an incoming email with either a textmessage or phone call, respectively. By way of an additional example,upon receiving and failing to answer an incoming phone call or receivinga voice message, the user can activate either the text message or emailinput control 22, 24 to reply to the missed phone call or stored voicemessage with either a text message or email, respectively.

By way of an example of the communication device 10 replying to anincoming email with a phone call, FIG. 4 illustrates the text of anemail. In many email messages, the sender of the email either types inhis or her return phone number or has a signature block automaticallyadded to the email message upon the message's generation, the signatureblock recording the phone number. At any rate, a phone number(800-555-1234) of the sender of the email is shown in FIG. 4. Upon theuser activating the phone input control 26 (FIG. 1) the logic 20 of thecommunication device 10 automatically examines the email message for aphone number. In accordance with various embodiments, the logic 20examines the email for a string of, for example, ten numbers, the firstthree of which may be encapsulated in parentheses as shown in theexample of FIG. 4. The prefix may be separated from the last fournumbers of the phone number by a dash, a period, or a space and thelogic 20 may take these considerations into account when examining theemail for a phone number. The email message may or may not actuallyinclude a phone number. However, if the email message does include aphone number and the logic 20 detects the phone number, the logic 20will automatically initiate a reply phone call to that particular phonenumber. To the extent that more than one phone number is included in theemail message, the logic 20 initiates a phone call to, for example, thefirst phone number encountered in the email message. In someembodiments, the logic 20 begins analyzing the email from the beginningof the typed email message for a phone number. In other embodiments, thelogic 20 begins examining the email message from the end of the emailmessage going backwards to the beginning in attempt to find a phonenumber.

In other embodiments, upon activating the phone input control 26, thelogic 20 compares the sender's name associated with the email message tothe contacts 18 stored in memory 15. Upon encountering a match of thesender's name of the email to a name in contacts 18, the logic 20automatically initiates a phone call to the phone number provided inthat particular contact. To the extent more than one phone number isprovided in the matching contact, the logic 20 may display the phonenumbers to the user of the communication device 10 and the user mayselect the phone number he or she desires. In other embodiments, thecommunication device 10 may be pre-programmed at the factory orprogrammed by the user to give priority to various types of phonenumbers. For example, a business number, if present, in the contact isdialed, and if no business number is present, then a mobile phone number(if present) is dialed, and so on.

In some embodiments, the logic 20 first examines the email message for aphone number and upon failure to find a phone in the email message, thelogic 20 then examines the contacts 18 for a matching name. Inalternative embodiments, the logic 20 first examines contacts 18 for amatching name and, failing to find a matching name, then searches thetext of the email for a phone number. In yet other embodiments, thelogic 20 only examines the contacts 18 for a matching name or onlyexamines the text of the email message for a phone number.

The example described above with respect to the email of FIG. 4 alsoapplies to the reception of a text message. That is, logic 20 canautomatically initiate a phone call upon receipt of a text message uponthe logic 20 detecting a phone number embedded within the text messageor finding a name in contacts 18 that matches the sender of the textmessage.

The user of the communication device 10 can also cause the communicationdevice 10 to reply to a text message with an email, or to an email witha text message, or to an email or text message with a voice-recordedattachment. For example, upon receipt of a email, that email maycomprise a phone number which can be detected by logic 20 as describedabove and used by the logic 20 to initiate a reply text message (whichuses a phone number as the sender's identity). Alternatively, the logic20 compares the name of the sender of the email to contacts 18 to find amatching name and then uses the phone number in that matching contactname to initiate the text message. Further still, the logic 20 may firstexamine the email for a phone number and, upon failing to find a phonenumber, automatically examine contacts 18 for a matching name to find asuitable phone number. Further still, logic 20 may first examinecontacts 18 for a matching name and hence a corresponding phone number,and failing to find a matching name, examine the contents of the emailfor a phone number.

A similar process may apply to the reception of a text message. That is,the logic 20 may examine contacts 18 for a name that corresponds to thesender of a text message. Upon finding such a matching name, the logic20 then initiates an email reply to that particular person. If amatching name is not found in contacts 18, the logic 20 may then examinethe body of the text message for an email address to be used toformulate a reply email.

Upon receipt of a text message, the communication device 10 can eitheruse the name of the sender of the text message or the phone numberassociated with the text message as a search mechanism into contacts 18.That is, if the communication device 10 (e.g., logic 20) is examiningcontacts 18 for an email address for a reply email message to a incomingtext message, the logic 20 may examine contacts 18 based on either thename of the sender of the text message or the phone number of the senderof the text message. Similarly, upon receipt of an incoming email, thelogic 20 may examine contacts 18 for a phone number for a reply textmessage or phone call based on either the name of the sender of theemail or the sender's email address itself.

FIG. 5 shows a method in accordance with various embodiments. At 100,the method comprises receiving a message from a source. The messagereferred to at 100 comprises any of multiple communication types (e.g.,phone calls, emails, text messages, etc.). At 102, the method of FIG. 5comprises detecting an input from a user indicative of a type ofresponse communication desired by the user. The detection at 102 refersto the logic 20 detecting which of the input controls 22, 24, and 26 theuser has activated for the communication device 10 to automaticallyinitiate a reply message. At 104, the method further comprisesresponding to the incoming message via a communication type inaccordance with the user-detected input. That is, the communicationdevice responds to the incoming message of a first type with a replymessage in accordance with the communication type selected by the uservia input controls 22, 24, and 26.

In another example, a user of the communication device 10 can reply toan incoming message of a particular type (e.g., text message, email,missed phone call/voice message) with a voice note. A voice notecomprises an audio recording via microphone 19 by the user to theincoming message. The recorded voice note is then sent back to therecipient. A separate voice note input control can be provided toinitiate and record voice notes.

The above discussion is meant to be illustrative of the principles andvarious embodiments of the present invention. Numerous variations andmodifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art once theabove disclosure is fully appreciated. It is intended that the followingclaims be interpreted to embrace all such variations and modifications.

What is claimed is:
 1. A communication device, comprising: logic; aninput device coupled to said logic and adapted to permit a user toselect a communication type; wherein said logic receives a communicationin a first communication type and then permits a user to select for areply to said communication any of a plurality of user-selectablecommunication types including at least one of electronic mail, textmessage, voice message, phone call, and voice note; and wherein, uponthe user selecting phone call as the communication type, said logicinitiates a phone call to a sender of the communication and wherein thelogic initiates the phone call to a phone number the logic finds in thecommunication and, if no phone number is found in the communication, toa phone number otherwise associated with the sender.
 2. Thecommunication device of claim 1 wherein the logic searches thecommunication for a phone number.
 3. The communication device of claim 1wherein, if no phone number is found in the communication, the logicsearches through a plurality of contacts for a contact associated withthe sender.
 4. The communication device of claim 1 wherein, upon theuser selecting voice message as the communication type, said logicinitiates a voice message for a sender of the communication.
 5. Thecommunication device of claim 4 wherein the logic attaches the voicemessage to a reply message to the sender.
 6. The communication device ofclaim 1 wherein the first communication type comprises a phone call andthe user selects a communication type other than a phone call for thereply.
 7. An apparatus, comprising: means for receiving a message from asource; means for detecting an input from a user after said means forreceiving receives the message, said input being indicative of a type ofresponse communication selected from a plurality of responsecommunication types provided to the user for said received message, saidresponse communication types including at least one of electronic mail,text message, voice message, phone call, and voice note; and means forresponding to the message via a communication type in accordance withthe user-detected input; wherein, upon the user selecting phone call asthe communication type, said means for responding initiates a phone callto a sender of the communication by initiating the phone call to a phonenumber the means for responding finds in the communication and, if nophone number is found in the communication, to a phone number otherwiseassociated with the sender.
 8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein themeans for responding is for responding via a communication type thatdiffers from the communication type of the message.
 9. The apparatus ofclaim 7 wherein the means for receiving the message is for receiving atext message and the means for responding to the message is forresponding via a phone call.
 10. The apparatus of claim 7 furthercomprising means for examining the message for a phone number.
 11. Theapparatus of claim 7 further comprising means for examining a pluralityof contacts for a contact corresponding to the source of the message.12. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the message is a phone call andsaid means for responding is also for generating a text-based messagebased on said phone call.